Booster pump



July 4, v1967 H, G, BARTELS 3,329,095

BOOSTER PUMP Filed Nov. 16, 1965 United States Patent O 3,329,095BOOSTER PUMP Henning G. Bartels, Harvestedhuder Weg 48, Hamburg, GermanyFiled Nov. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 508,004 3 Claims. (Cl. 103-87) ABSTRACT FTHE DISCLOSURE In a pump wherein the impeller is moved axially betweenan inoperative and an operative position, depending upon whether or notthe `driving -motor is deenergized or energized, an annular bushing isprovided which is secured to the impeller, surrounds the impeller intakeand fits into an enlarged section of the pump intake when the impelleris in the operative position to substantially close off the spacebetween the impeller intake and the pump casing at that time, with thebushing providing a face against which fluid pressure will act to movethe impeller toward the inoperative position when the motor isdeenergized. With the bushing moved out of the way the area for fluidilow with the pump inoperative is greatly increased.

This invention relates to fluid moving apparatus for temporarilyincreasing the pressure or speed of a fluid continuously flowing througha pipe line. More particularly, the invention constitutes an improvementover the device disclosed in my U.S. Patent No. 2,824,520 of Feb. 25,1958.

An important object of the invention is automatically to change theintake area in a connected pump pipeline due to axial movement of therotor of an inner electric motor. When the pump is activated, the intakearea is reduced but when the motor is idle this Opening becomes larger.

In a centrifugal pump with a submerged electric rotor and impeller onthe same shaft, the axial movement of the shaft, due to the energizationof the motor for operation, magnetically attracts the rotor to the motorstator and pushes the rotor and the impeller toward the intake, reducingthe pump intake. The opposite movement opening the inlet, with theelectric motor turned off, is due to the hydraulic force and pressure oft-he fluid normally flowing in the pipe and returning the rotor andimpeller to normal position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thespecification and claims. The construction and operation will be moreclearly understood from the following description of a specificembodiment in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device of the presentinvention in its maximum pressure position with the rotor activated; and

FIGURE Z is a longitudinal sectional View similar to FIGURE l, butshowing the impeller blade and rotor in its other limiting position withthe motor unactivated.

In a centrifugal pump construction, during the idle period of the pump,a large cross-sectional area is needed to insure eiicient flow of theliquid. A decreased area such as occurs when pumping produces eddycurrents and causes eddy losses when the pump is not operating as apump. While the pump is at rest a booster pressure pump should have thesame or even larger cross-sectional area than the connected pipe line.

Referring now more particularly to t-he drawings, a pipe line pumpcomprises a casing with an inlet 11 and an outlet passage 12 built intoa pipe line in 3,329,095 Patented July 4, 1967 ICC which the device isto be used and in which the uid How is in the direction indicated.

An electric motor means comprising a circular fixed stator 13 is locatedin the casing 10 and spaced axially from the inner -surface thereof t-oform a fluid passageway 12 between the casing and the stator. Within thestator is a rotor 14 mounted on a shaft 16 which is movable endwise bythe magnetism of its electric actuation in a direction opposite thefluid flow, and in the reverse direction by the flow and pressure offluid therein.

At the inlet end is a circular impeller 15 secured to the shaft 16 witha plurality of radiating tubular jets 19 larger near the inner or intakeends 15a adjacent the shaft but slightly decreasing at the outlets 15bdischarging near the inside of the casing 10 and having a surroundingtubular (annular) end bushing 17 mounted in advance of the impeller tubeintakes. This bushing has an outer diameter to t in the enlarged section11a of the pipe inlet 11 and an inwardly inclined surface 20 leading tothe outside of the impeller inlet. The tubular jets 19 receive theimpact of fluid owing in the pipe and accelerate the fluid throwing itoutwardly when the electric pump is actuated.

vTo accelerate and direct fluid efliciently from the jets 19, a guidinginlet ring 18 in the casing 10` having inlet openings 21 of a diameterto receive the outer ends of the jets 19, is rounded outwardly withslightly larger discharge openings 22, or has a diameter larger than theinlet, which throws the fluid outwardly and directs it in thelongitudinal direction of the casing 10.

Thus, the jets of the impeller 16 and this accelerator guiding ring 18act to receive the fluids and accelerate them to the degree mostbeneficial and ecient by the rotation of the propeller shaft 16.

When the electric motor is energized, the rotor 14 is drawn endwise withits shaft 16 against the flow pressure of uid to move the bushing 17 toclosing position as shown in FIGURE 1; thus, the operation of t-he rotor14 causes the passage 12 to be reduced at the inlet 11 and the jets 19increase the flow and pressure of fluid in the passage.

When the electric current is shut olf, the stator 13 and its shaft 16are moved with the impeller 15 by the flow of liquid in the casing 10,to the position shown by FIGURE 2, enlarging the flow passage 12 at theinlet and reducing the pressure of fluid in the casing.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for increasing the pressure of Huid in a pipe lineand comprising a casing having walls dening an inlet, and electric motorwithin and spaced from the walls of the casing to define a fluidpassageway thereabout, said motor having a shaft coaxial with said inletand movable axially, and impeller means secured to the inlet end of saidshaft, said impeller means having an intake adjacent said shaft and anoutlet at a greater radial distance from the shaft, the arrangementbeing such that when the motor is deenergized the impeller means is inan inoperative position and from said inoperative position when themotor is energized the shaft moves axially toward said inlet to a secondposition at which said impeller means is operative to pump fluid fromsaid inlet toward said passageway, the improvement comprising: saidimpeller means intake being substantially smaller in diameter about saidshaft than is the inlet of the casing; an annular bushing (17) securedto said shaft and coaxial therewith, said bushing being external of saidimpeller means intake, said bushing being of a size to substantiallyclose the space between said impeller means intake and the casing at theinlet when said impeller means is in the second position, said bushingbeing moved back away from the casing at the inlet a substantialdistance when the impeller means is in the inoperative position topermit uid to How freely therebetween.

2. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said casing has anenlarged section (11a) at said inlet and the periphery o! aid bushing isreceived in said enlarged section When the impeller means is in thesecond position.

3. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bushing has aninclined face (20) extending out- Wardly and upstream from said impellermeans intake.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,002 6/ 1961 Schipper 103-87FOREIGN PATENTS 1,103,764 4/1961 Germany.

10 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE PRESSURE OF FLUID IN A PIPE LINEAND COMPRISING A CASING HAVING WALLS DEFINING AN INLET, AND ELECTRICMOTOR WITHIN AND SPACED FROM THE WALLS OF THE CASING TO DEFINE A FLUIDPASSAGEWAY THEREABOUT, SAID MOTOR HAVING A SHAFT COAXIAL WITH SAID INLETAND MOVABLE AXIALLY, AND IMPELLER MEANS SECURED TO THE INLET END OF SAIDSHAFT, SAID IMPELLER MEANS HAVING AN INTAKE ADJACENT SAID SHAFT AND ANOUTLET AT A GREATER RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE SHAFT, THE ARRANGEMENTBEING SUCH THAT WHEN THE MOTOR IS DEENERGIZED THE IMPELLER MEANS IS INAN INOPERATIVE POSITION AND FROM SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION WHEN THEMOTOR IS ENERGIZED THE SHAFT MOVES AXIALLY TOWARD SAID INLET TO A SECONDPOSITION AT WHICH SAID IMPELLER MEANS IS OPERATIVE TO PUMP FLUID FROMSAID INLET TOWARD SAID PASSAGEWAY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: SAIDIMPELLER MEANS INTAKE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER IN DIAMETER ABOUT SAIDSHAFT THAN IS THE INLET OF THE CASING; AN ANNULAR BUSHING (17) SECUREDTO SAID SHAFT AND COAXIAL THEREWITH, SAID BUSHING BEING EXTERNAL OF SAIDIMPELLER MEANS INTAKE, SAID BUSHING BEING OF A SIZE TO SUBSTANTIALLYCLOSE THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID IMPELLER MEANS INTAKE AND THE CASING AT THEINLET WHEN SAID IMPELLER MEANS IS IN THE SECOND POSITION, SAID BUSHINGBEING MOVED BACK AWAY FROM THE CASING AT THE INLET A SUBSTANTIALDISTANCE WHEN THE IMPELLER MEANS IS IN THE INOPERATIVE POSITION TOPERMIT FLUID TO FLOW FREELY THEREBETWEEN.